Manipur's implosion will hurt the India story

State collapse in Manipur has undermined two key aspects of the India story - the ideas that define this country, and its strategic ambitions. Fixing this can't be driven by narrow electoral calculations

- Avinash Paliwal

That it took a leaked video of a mob's brutal sexual assault of two women for Manipur's implosion to grab national attention should offer us a pause. India's northeastern states are not socially or politically disconnected from the rest of the country. They aren't even a site of the odd colonial imagery that pejoratively typecast entire communities as martial or otherwise to advance its divisive cause. Neither has Manipur's troubled situation been unknown or unreported. But it took over two months, and the force of a gutwrenching video, for serious political and media attention to be bestowed to this conflict.

There are known reasons for such apathy. One, a sense that the Northeast is geographically peripheral, and state collapse there doesn't impact the rest of India. Two, the notion that the northeastern state's political landscape is too complex to grasp. That Manipur houses many armed outfits, with awkwardly sounding acronyms, has been a pet peeve of many trying to make sense of the state. This is reflected in the litany of articles trying to explain the basics about Manipur's diversity when the state imploded. Three, the idea that this region has always been security-sensitive and is best left to security officials.

These are false notions. Manipur, and the rest of the Northeast, are central to India, and state collapse there is already hurting the India story. Any approach to resolve this cannot be driven by narrow electoral calculations. Though the human tragedy there has been rightfully highlighted and deplored, there is a need to appreciate the full import of Manipur's situation on India's being, both in theory and practice.

There are two core aspects of contemporary India that Manipur's plight undermines. One, the idea(s) that define India and its nation-building project, and two, its strategic ambitions. Let's unpack them.